All I Want For Christmas
by GellsBells
Summary: Jughead gets roped into playing Santa Claus for Polly and Jason's twins. He's not happy about it, but he can't exactly say no to Betty. Betty finally realizes the obvious. Canon-Divergent


Eyes wide, lips pouted, head tilted slightly to the left. It's a look that Betty has perfected with time.

A look that gets him every time.

And that is how he finds himself standing in front of her bedroom mirror in a rented Santa suit running his hand through his hair his beanie on her dresser next to the Santa hat. He couldn't believe that he had agreed to this. The original plan was to sit back, sip some eggnog and laugh at his friend Archie dressed up as Santa to appease the young Cooper twins. But then Archie had been summoned to Pembrooke and Betty had turned up on his father's trailer door step. To ask Jughead to take his place, with that look.

If it had been anyone else he would have said no.

Jughead and Christmas have never been on the best of terms. A holiday which in the past has only been a source of pain and disappointment. His parents screaming at one another, or him. Forced to watch his friend's celebrate with their loved ones while he just tried to survive had left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Recent Christmases had started to make little dents in his attitude towards the season. Jellybean visiting. Being invited to share those Christmas lunches which he had before only watched as an outsider. He was now part of a larger family. The one he had chosen for himself.

Ever since the murder of Jason Blossom and the events that had followed in the small town three years ago, his friendships had only grown stronger. Betty and Archie, his two closest friends had eventually dated which had seemed inevitable to him, but it hadn't lasted. Neither told him why and he didn't probe any further. Besides Archie had found Veronica again and Betty committed herself to her school work in preparation for her college applications which had paid off with an early acceptance letter already in her possession.

It also meant that she thrust herself fully into her extracurricular activities. Including the Blue and Gold which Jughead was grateful for as he continued to spend time with the girl he had admired for years, the only girl who could make him blush. The only girl he had ever considered wanting to kiss.

But that time was soon coming to a close as she prepared to move away from Riverdale, while Jughead's fate was still hanging in the air as he had not yet been graced with such a letter. No more milkshakes at Pop's, no more sleuthing discovering the town's darkest secrets and no more Blue and Gold late night meetings. It seemed that they would go their separate ways.

He was startled out of his thoughts by the knock on the frame of the half open door of Betty Cooper's bedroom as Betty herself, poked her head around the corner. "Hey," she said as she looked him up and down. "It fits well." Jughead rolled his eyes in response turning his attention back to the mirror in front of him. The hire suit had not been as horrible as he had imagined it to be when he had agreed to Betty's request.

"So tell me again why Polly can't just take the twins to the mall like every other parent in America." He adjusted the belt around his middle, pushing it under the pillow that covered his stomach and considered whether he needed another to further pad out his costume.

"Because of the meltdown that occurred last year." Betty answered calmly as she examined herself in her mirror, purposefully not meeting his eyes as she said it.

"Wait?" Jughead's eyes widened, "Meltdown." Betty pulled her phone from her pocket, chuckling to herself before she turned the screen to face him.

It was the typical mall Santa set up. Fake pine trees covered in fake snow with a pile of, no doubt, fake presents piled up next to them. On the large gold (spray painted, obviously) throne sat Santa and two very unhappy toddlers. Maddy, the younger one by ten minutes, was pulling at Santa's beard which unfortunately for him was not fake. Her mouth was wide open in what Jughead imagined was an ear piercing scream. Meanwhile, Thomas was trying to climb up one of Santa's Little Helpers in an attempt to escape. His mouth was also wide open in a scream and Jughead felt a shiver run through him as he imagined the combined scream of the twins. That they could be both screaming at him in a matter of minutes instead of some poor souls at the mall.

"Yeah. I mean they were younger then, but, who knew such little people had such a set of lungs on them." Betty gave a short laugh as she put her phone back in her pocket. She leant past him as she grabbed a cushion off her bed to hand to him.

"And so having me dress up is supposed to prevent another 'meltdown'?" He considered the cushion in her hands before he took it from her and stuffed it under his suit giving him a much rounder and less lopsided stomach.

"Polly thinks that if it is someone they know under the suit they'll be less scared." Betty shrugged her shoulders before she took the Santa's hat from her dresser and placed it on her own head, smiling at Jughead as she did so.

Jughead felt the ground slip from underneath his feet and knew that no one else could ever look as beautiful in a Santa's hat as Betty Cooper did now. He found himself secretly wishing for a sprig of mistletoe to be magically hung above them.

"Because I am going to look recognisable under all of this?" He indicated to his bright red suit, round tummy and beard that was currently hanging from his neck. He was far from resembling the lanky, snarky, loner that made up his usual aesthetic. Betty approached him again her head tilted slightly to the side as she examined him.

"I think it's more of a feeling. They won't know it's you but they can sense it's someone safe. You know how they say kids are a great judge of character." He had to admit that he felt honoured that he had become a part of the twins lives so that Polly felt comfortable enough to have him put on the suit. And that by that extension, Betty did too.

She reached up to pull the hat from her own head placing it on top of his covering his dark waves. "Thank you for doing this again, Jughead," she said as she continued to adjust the hat on his head. Getting it's placement just right.

He sighed as he felt her breath against his face as she leaned in."I couldn't say no to you." She paused her movements for a moment as he realised he had said those words out loud. Had he given himself away? Did he want to give himself away? She opened her mouth as if to say something before she closed it again, dropping her hands from his head as she took a step back.

"Thank you," she said again before she left the room and Jughead was left to finish the final touches and his own thoughts.

*

He felt a little ill as he made his way down the staircase. Holding tightly to the bannister as he adjusted his gait to allow for the new weight on his front. He had pulled the belt as tight as possible to ensure that no cushions or pillows fell from underneath the suit. An event that no doubt would have the twins giving a repeat performance of the year before. He couldn't let Betty down like that.

As he rounded the corner into the lounge he saw the twins sat on the couch in between Polly and Alice Cooper. They eyed him suspiciously and he felt like the jig was up already. He looked towards Betty who was standing by the picture perfect Christmas tree, camera in hand ready to take pictures. She mouthed 'Ho, Ho, Ho.' before leaning back slightly and miming a belly laugh before nodding her head in the direction of the twins.

His eyes flicked from hers to the twins, to Alice and back to Betty who gave him a thumbs up. He leant his body back holding onto the fake belly before letting out a "Ho, Ho, Ho." in the deepest voice that he could manage. The twins looked to Polly, who encouraged them to get up and go see Santa. Jughead let out another round of laughter before he made his way to the lounge chair he had been instructed to sit in when he had arrived earlier.

"Do you two want to go see Santa?" Betty spoke taking each twin's hands in her own and moving towards Jughead. They followed Betty carefully never taking their eyes off of him and he wondered whether they had inherited that glare from the Cooper or the Blossom side of their lineage. Having been on the receiving end of that look from both Alice and Cheryl and it was eerily similar to the one they were sending his way now. "He's really nice." Betty continued only a few steps away. Jughead tried to smile his best non creepy smile, not that he really had much practice.

"Is he your friend, Aunt Betty?" Maddy asked curiously as she took another step towards him, leaving the comfort of the tight grip on Betty's hand.

"He's one of my best friends." Betty answered and Jughead tried hard not to show the feelings that rose up in him. They had been through so much that he knew that they were friends, good friends but hearing the words from Betty's own mouth just made them more real. But it also stirred that longing he had felt for some time for something more than that.

"Can I tell him what I want for Christmas?" Thomas asked next.

"Of course." His hand let go of Betty's next as he came closer.

Thomas looked up at him. "Mr Santa?"

"Yes, Thomas." Jughead responded maintaining the deep yet joyful voice which he had heard in a million television shows and movies.

"You know my name?" Thomas exclaimed as he looked back at Polly with a big grin on his face. Betty had taken some further steps back and was now taking some photos with her camera. Jughead could only imagine the fun that Archie and Kevin would share over seeing their sullen friend dressed up as the Jolly Old St Nick himself.

"I know all the good girls and boys names." He added allowing himself to let go and go with the role.

"Do you know mine?" Maddy piped up, looking at him expectantly. It gave him this warm feeling in his stomach to see them so happy. He felt glad that he was able to be a part in making someone's Christmas special that he could bring a smile to them. It was soppy he knew it and his inner cynic was rebelling but it felt good. Not only to do this for Betty, but for the twins as well.

"Of course, Maddy. Now what about you two tell me what you want for Christmas?" He patted to his knee and the two children climbed up with some help from Polly before she sat back down with Alice the two of them exchanging a look of relief.

The two twins excitedly balanced themselves in the chair each one sitting on his knee as he put his arm around them both to stop them from falling off. Betty continued to take photos as the twins rambled about what toys they would like for Christmas. Jughead nodded and agreed. Once they were satisfied that their wishes had been heard they hopped down from his knee, Maddy asking for a hug before they turned their attention to Betty.

Thomas pulled at the leg of her jeans to get her attention, "Aunt Betty."

"Yes, Thomas?" Betty bent down to Thomas's height.

"Aren't you going to sit on Santa's knee and tell him what you want for Christmas?" Jughead choked as the question was asked and his eyes flew to Betty's who seemed to have a similar reaction to the question.

"I'm a little old Thomas." Betty reasoned shooting a look of threat to her mom and Polly who were snickering to each other on the couch.

"But you have to tell him Betty" Maddy argued. "Or else you won't get what you want? Or he might not even come at all!" She exclaimed a look of panic crossing her face

"Come on Betty." Polly interjected a smile painted on her face. "Tell Santa what you want for Christmas."

"Yes Betty." Alice Cooper rose from the couch, holding out her hand for the camera. "I'll take a picture." Betty reluctantly gave the camera to Alice as she made her way to the chair where Jughead was sitting. She shot him a look of apology as she sat on his lap his body was stiff and he was thankful for the fake beard which would cover some of the blush which had spread across his cheeks.

"Well what do you want for Christmas Betty?" He said lowly, almost a whisper. He could feel the warmth of her body through the Christmas sweater she wore as his hand gripped her waist holding her still.

"What I want for Christmas won't fit under the tree." She answered with a mischievous smile as she then turned for the camera her face changing as she smiled broadly as the camera clicked. She got up from his lap and then left the room he could hear her footsteps moving up the stairs.

Jughead sat is stunned silence for a moment. Surely she couldn't mean.

He got up quickly, "Uh, Santa needs to go feed the reindeers now," he announced as the twins waved goodbye and he headed in the direction of Betty's room. He found her in her room busying herself with tidying her books on her bookshelf which as far as he could tell were already in order.

"Betts." He let out as he pulled the fake beard from his face, tossing it aside grateful to no longer have the hair itching his face. She turned towards the sound of his voice and he noticed her twisting the hem of her sweater in between her fingers.

"You did really well Juggie, think you might even have won a place in my mom's good books." Her tone was light as she spoke. "I got some really nice photos, maybe you could even send them to JB." She was hiding something trying to avoid the subject. "She might not believe it if she didn't see it." He removed the pillow and cushion from underneath his suit throwing them back onto her bed her eyes carefully following his movements.

"Betts." He said again trying to get her to focus on him, as he approached her. "What you said down there? What do you really want for Christmas?" He took her hands in his, feeling their warmth in his own. She looked up at him and he hoped that it was him.

"Something only Santa can give me." She said shyly. His hand moved to her waist holding her steady as the room seemed to shrink around him and all he could concentrate on was how green her eyes were and how much his heart felt like it was going to explode from his chest.

"And that would be?" he asked for final confirmation, his heart screaming at him to just kiss her, but his head always seemed to have the upper hand.

Her hand came up to cup his cheek as the look in her eyes intensified, "A kiss." His hand was gripping her waist tighter now and he glanced down at her lips. He couldn't hold himself back any longer as his lips crashed into hers. The feeling of kissing Betty far exceeded what he had ever imagined in his head. Her lips were soft and pliable underneath his own and if he didn't need to breath he would never stop. Her fingers skimmed the edge of the Santa's hat, playing with the small curls which had come free, sighing further into the kiss.

She pulled back to look at him, her chest rising and falling quickly as she regained her breath. He held her close, his fingers splayed over her waist the material of her sweater so soft underneath his fingertips while her fingers continued to play with his hair.

"Merry Christmas Santa." Betty said with a smile that he couldn't help but return.

"Merry Christmas, Betts." He responded before returning his lips to hers. Both so wrapped up in each other that neither one heard the two sets of tiny footsteps making their way up the stairs to their Aunt Betty's room.


End file.
